Tag: Lake Anna Winery

The rolling hills of the Piedmont and the history of Montpelier make this one of the more idyllic settings for showcasing our local wineries. I’ve been there in all kinds of weather, but this is a must for history buffs, wine lovers and gardening enthusiasts. This event is well organized and traffic flow is smooth. Wear your Wellies or rain boots (just in case) since the ground may be a bit mushy after all of our recent rain. Bring some camp chairs, you’ll want to be able to sit back a bit after walking the gardens and enjoy a nice Viognier or Cabernet Franc. For hikers, save your wine for the end of the day and head out on the Montpelier-Grelen Trail, MontpelierTrails, a 3.9 mile loop with 9 miles of trails to explore. The Governor designated this trail a “Virginia Treasure” and is a fun way to explore the historical grounds, mountain views and it links to the Grelen Nursery on the Grelen Farm. Grelen is another find and worthy of a separate blog post, family oriented, great gift shop and in season berry picking, plus a sand box for the little ones!

▪ October 22-23 — Pick of the Piedmont Fall Wine Festival: Twelve wineries will present their best at this new Orange County event. Beautiful autumn weather and the lure of music and fun will make this an unforgettable experience. Booster Park, 19046 Constitution Hwy, Orange VA Fee: $12 Advance/$20 At the Gate Time: Sat 11 am-6pm/Sun 11am-5pm Phone Number: 540-672-1653

▪ October 22 – 23 — Fall Foliage Open House at Hill Top Berry Farm Celebration: Taste ‘True to the Fruit’ wines and authentic Honey Meads at our Fall Foliage Open House. We will be pairing them with samples of food. We will also have samples of our gourmet Irish and Scottish gift shop items available to taste. Come enjoy a fall day while sipping on hot mulled wine in your rocking chair by the fire. 2800 Berry Hill Road, Nellysford VA Fee: Free Time: 11am – 5pm Phone Number: 434-361-1266

▪ October 29 — Chesapeake Virginia Wine Festival Festival: Fabulous wines from around the world and produced by Virginia wineries will be available for tasting, as well as foods from the regions finest restaurants. Entertainment will be provided by Lewis McGehee. Sponsored by the Chesapeake Rotary and this is their largest fund raising event. Chesapeake City Park, 900 Greenbrier Pkwy, Chesapeake VA Fee: $30 Advance/$35 At the Gate Time: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. Phone Number: (757) 573.8940

▪ October 29-30 — Oyster Roast at Cardinal Point Celebration: Live music and plenty of oysters from our friends at Rappahannock River Oyster Company! Live music on Saturday from The Cashmere Jungle Lords (surfability rock at its best) and Sunday The Atkisons (roots rock from Richmond VA). Cover charge includes wine glass and free wine tasting; it does NOT include wine to fill your glass or oysters. 9423 Batesville Road, Afton VA Fee: $8 Advance/$10 At the Door/$5 Case Club Members Time: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Phone Number: 540-456-8400

▪ ♥ My Favorite Pick for a Boootiful Halloween Celebration: Glass House Winery South American melodies in our “terrifyingly tropical paradise.” Costumed guests are highly encouraged – creativity will be rewarded! Extra points if you don tropical/jungle themed threads. And if you are stumped for ideas or come unprepared, not to worry, Madeline and Humberto (of Beleza) will be supplying a box of extra costumes at the door. Light fare will be provided for a suggested donation.

We are anticipating an absolutely incredible afternoon tomorrow with crisp Fall weather and even a little frost on the pumpkin tonight! Texas Rangers are playing tonight, trying to beat the Yankees for their first ever entry into the World series! What a Weekend! If you haven’t already made plans for October 23rd and 24th, try to come out to Orange for The Pick of the Piedmont Fall Wine Festival! I’m glad our friends invited us to this event!

Tickets are available online and are $20.00 and $5.00 for designated drivers and youths 13-20. Wine cooking demonstrations, arts & crafts booths plus live entertainment, hours are from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.